'Key militant killed' in Pakistan

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A suspected key al-Qaeda operative is believed to have been killed in a drone strike in Pakistan, US officials say.

A US official has confirmed to the BBC in Washington that a man named Saleh al-Somali is believed to have been killed during the attack.

Other US officials are being quoted as calling him a senior al-Qaeda operative, possibly with responsibility for the group's external relations.

The drone attack took place earlier this week in north-western Pakistan.

Hundreds of people, many of them civilians, have been killed in drone attacks in the past year. Top Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was among them.

Pakistan has publicly criticised drone attacks, saying they fuel support for the militants.